He died of complications resulting from his stroke in March at his Washington home, said Seth Oster of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

As the man who represented the Hollywood industry in Washington, Valenti was a fierce opponent of film piracy, crusading for copyright enforcement.

The film ratings system that Valenti laid out in the 1960s generally has remained intact, although some changes have been added over the decades.

"Jack was a showman, a gentleman, an orator, and a passionate champion of this country, its movies, and the enduring freedoms that made both so important to this world," Mr Glickman said in a statement.

Hollywood directors and actors paid tribute to Valenti, with Stephen Spielberg calling him "a giant voice of reason" and "the greatest ambassador Hollywood has ever known".

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world, because I spent my entire public working career in two of life's classic fascinations, politics and Hollywood," he said.

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